Today on BusinessLoungeLK's journey to bring to you the voices of Sri Lankan business professionals, we are honored to be in discussion with Ashan Wickramasinghe, Assistant Manager of Operations & Marketing at AMW.
1. What keeps you driven?
I joined the AMW Group as a Marketing intern and after nine months I was able to move on to a permanent role. The one thing that keeps me driven is the excitement of facing different quests every day and working with the core team at AMW builds the passion to overtake any obstacle.
2. What do you like most about automobiles?
I fell in love with cars as all Sri Lankan boys do from a very young age, however where my passion for automobiles sparked even further is with the introduction of electric vehicles, my first vehicle in life was a Nissan Leaf.
My goal in life is to be part of this global move towards e-mobility and I believe that I am on the right path to getting there.
3. What is your formula for balancing your work and family life?
I don’t necessarily strike that balance between work life and family life, my current role revolves in both operations and marketing so I have to get the work done on time. Thus, I’m not a person that leaves work at the office, I take it home as well. It is difficult at times, but once you get used to it it’s something you can’t live without.
4. What was the most unforgettable day in your personal or work life?
It’s wasn’t just one day however, I was on a three-day tour of the country visiting all AMW Automall & Suzuki branches, I went all the way from our flagship showroom at Borella to Jaffna, Matara, Ratnapura and so on. That was an amazing experience as I had the opportunity to travel around Sri Lanka all alone and I was able to meet a lot of people from our branches island-wide.
5. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Ten years down the line I would like to see myself running my own business. It could be either in the automobile industry or the tech industry because those are the two pillars I’m interested in. Ten years down the line I would definitely be invested in something of my own.
6. What are your thoughts on sustainability in terms of automobiles?
Right now, I think the electric car market is a niche market, however I believe that it will soon become very popular. With every new generation of electric vehicles that emerges, we are coming to learn and rectify our past mistakes, and due to that we keep on improving. The life span of an EV can be far more than of an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine). This is due to the fact that there’s much fewer mechanical parts in an EV and the replacement of a battery can give a new lease of life to an EV.
7. Do you think there is enough digital transformation taking place in Sri Lanka?
I would say yes, because in our country everyone has access to smartphones, and we have good telecommunications infrastructure. Having access to these devices allows us to accomplish an abundance of tasks.
8. Bridging the gap between university days and the workplace, what advice would you give to university graduates?
Don’t waste time. Getting on top of the learning curve and gaining experience is critical. Seeing the lessons applied practically in the field adds a lot of value to that knowledge. So, for anyone who is looking to get into the field after completing their education, I would advise you to dive in ASAP!
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